Through the Eyes of Hans
by MalikOfDarkness
Summary: Prince Hans came to Arendelle with a purpose: to become King. He would do whatever it takes to achieve his goal and rule Arendelle. Set before, during and after movie plot.
1. The Unsuspecting Kingdom

Arriving at Arendelle was the easy part, but charming the Queen would be much more difficult. He left his father's kingdom in a hurry when he heard of the coronation. He had no friends or supporters there; his brothers were always preferred over him. But this time, he'd show them. He would be the King of Arendelle.

"Your Highness, we have arrived," declared one of Hans' advisors.

Hans nodded, his eyes never leaving the castle. He had to keep his eyes on the prize. "Edward, what can you tell me about this Queen?"

"Queen Elsa, sir?"

Hans snorted. "Is there another Queen I should know about?"

Edward bowed his head, embarrassed. "My apologies, Your Highness. I wasn't thinking."

"Well?"

"There isn't much to tell, sir. Her people rarely see her and the gates to the castle have been closed ever since she was young. Her parents died a few years ago, but now that she's come of age, the throne is hers."

"No personal details, Edward?" asked Hans, leaning against the railing of the ship.

"Apologies, Your Highness." Another bow. "Queen Elsa seems to be shrouded in mystery."

"I see." Hans' face was set in a frown. "Fetch me a horse. I'll have to get some information from the locals then. There has to be someone who knows something about our dear Queen Elsa."

He waved a servant over and told him the Prince's instructions. "Are you quite keen on her, Your Highness? Without even knowing how she looks?" questioned Edward hesitantly.

Hans looked down at the black-haired advisor and narrowed his eyes. "Between you and me, Edward, there's something about Queen Elsa that's appealing." He smirked inwardly. That is _her _title.

Edward widened his eyes before realizing his place. He quickly bowed once more and stammered, "It is an honor, sir, that you trust me with such a matter."

The servant returned, waiting at the docks with his horse. "I shall go now. Keep everything in order while I'm at the coronation." Hans left the ship, ready to begin his mission.


	2. The Ungraceful Princess

Hans mounted the horse with ease, mentally preparing himself for what came ahead. It would be a challenge to woo a queen, but he would eventually succeed as long as he was charming, as long as he was perfect. This was only another act in a play and he, as Prince Charming, must play his part. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a brunette girl running around like a crazy person. Surely she was one of the locals, although her dress did look expensive. Then again, it was coronation day and the townspeople haven't had visitors in ages. The girl was dashing towards him and he opened his mouth to warn her before it was too late.

She ran into his horse and fell onto a boat. His horse quickly stamped on the boat with his hoof to keep it from falling over. She looked up at the horse, not him and said, "Hey!"

He quickly composed a kind smile and asked, "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?"

The girl glanced at him, her eyes widening. "Hey. Um…no. No. I'm… I'm okay." Her surprise was evident from her stuttering words.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I...I just wasn't looking where I was going. But I'm great, actually."

He jumped off the horse, onto the boat. "Oh, thank goodness." Hans held out his hand, offering to help her up. The girl smiled and accepted, her figure standing up. "Oh. Uh…Prince Hans of the Southern Isles." He bowed, his title demanding this action.

She curtseyed and replied with an introduction of her own, "Princess Anna of Arendelle."

This time, Hans was the one surprised. She was a princess? This crazy and inelegant girl was the sister of the single most powerful lady in the kingdom of Arendelle? "Princess?" He forgot himself for a moment. Swiftly, he dropped to his knee and bowed his head. "My Lady."

His horse's foot became unsteady, causing the boat to tip a bit, leading to the Princess falling and Hans catching her. This wasn't getting off to a good start. "Whoa!" exclaimed Princess Anna.

Hans didn't know what to say or how to address their situation. "Um…" She kept a tight hold on him.

Princess Anna said awkwardly, "Hi…again." The horse steadied the boat, causing the Princess to fall on Hans.

"Oh boy!" He eyed her strangely. She definitely wasn't like the normal sort princesses he dealt with. They've been put in two compromising situations already and it hadn't even been five minutes. No other princess would have been found in such a state.

"This is awkward."

Hans mentally rolled his eyes. She barely realized? How lovely! Arendelle had to have a dense princess. "Uh…"

She hurriedly corrected herself, not wanting to offend him. "Not you're awkward, but just because we're...I'm awkward." She got off of him finally and he helped her up again. "You're gorgeous." Hans stared at her, wanting so badly to raise an eyebrow sarcastically. "Wait what?" She blushed, obviously just realizing what she said aloud.

Hans took it in stride. He needed to stay on her good side because she could have some influence over Queen Elsa. "I'd like to formally apologize for hitting the Princess of Arendelle with my horse...and for every moment after."

"No. No, no. It's fine. I'm not that Princess. I mean, if you'd hit my sister Elsa, it would be... yeash! Cause, you know..." Her voice drifted off as she patted his horse. "Hello." Looking back at him, she continued, "But, lucky you, it's...it's just me."

Hans chuckled. "Just you?" Indeed he was lucky then. She clearly had no self-esteem or confidence in herself. This was going to be easier than he thought, although it would be a pain pretending to like her and not wanting to upset her. It would all be worth it though.

She smiled at him, her eyes never leaving his face. Suddenly, the bells began to ring, announcing the start of the coronation. "The bells. The coronation. I... I...I better go. I have to go. I better go. Uh..." The Princess seemed to not know what to do. She turned to leave, but looked back and waved. "Bye!"

Hans leaped off the boat and mounted his horse once more, leaving the boat to fall over. He directed the horse in the direction of the castle. He too needed to go to the coronation, but for different reasons. Not to celebrate the ascension of Queen Elsa to the throne. But to get a glimpse of the Queen, of his prize. He needed to see what she was like. He hoped for the sake of his mind that she wasn't like her sister. Hans smirked. The play had a premature start, a little rough, but it had been handled. The curtain was up and the spotlight was on. Act One was about to begin and the Queen didn't know yet that she had a front row seat.

* * *

**Credit is due to the writers and creator of Frozen for the majority of this scence and all the dialogue.**

**Also, I removed the part where Hans falls into the ocean because as this fic has a Dark Hans, much more evil than he is or is perceived in the movie, Hans is going to need to be graceful like any villain. I don't want him to be foolish.**

**Thank you!**


	3. The Awkward Introduction

Hans sat attentively, perhaps more than anyone else. He saw and understood more than anyone there. He watched the Queen while the Bishop was speaking and saw right through her. Queen Elsa was elegant in more ways than her sister, thankfully. She could be what others deemed beautiful and that was good enough for him. After all, he had to put on a show. She held herself in such a manner befitting a Queen, her platinum blonde hair perfectly in place and her dress had not a single wrinkle. She was not too eager or deadbeat, but rather she was a pillar of confidence. A strong woman, which made her only more interesting.

Hans frowned when he noticed her trying to take the orb and scepter with her gloves on. Did she forget the rules governing the coronation? It was an amateur mistake, but everyone was watching. They were always watching. Narrowing his eyes, he continued to watch as she took off the gloves and held the items in her hands. She obviously wasn't listening to the Bishop and kept glancing at the orb and scepter. Interestingly enough, he noticed that the emotion on her face was not nervousness, but rather fear. What was she afraid of? Was there something about the specter and orb that she didn't want anyone to know? Or was it just fear that accompanied nervousness on a big day? After all, this was a coronation. From now on, she would be the ruler of Arendelle. All of Hans' instincts were against this explanation though. It had to be something else and he had to figure it out. The more he knew about Queen Elsa, the easier it would be to win her. As soon as the Bishop announced her as Queen Elsa, she hurriedly placed the items back on the pillow as if they were poison. The gloves returned to their place on her hands and she looked out with ease at the crowd, all trace of fear gone. Hans kept his eyes on her as he paid his respects to the Queen like everyone else. As one crowd, her subjects and foreign powers sunk down to their knees and bowed.

Once this was done, the crowd became one large clump, trying to exit the room. They were all going to the ballroom where there would be a formal party to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elsa. Hans could see the guards swarming around her as she was about to make her departure. Her sister, thankfully, already left. Hans dismantled himself the group of foreign dignitaries, excusing himself politely. He made way towards the Queen, ready to begin his mission. The guards stopped him and she glanced in his direction curiously.

"Halt, sir!" ordered one of the guards.

Hans widened his eyes to appear to them as a portrait of innocence. "I mean no harm, gentlemen. I am only here to deliver a message from my family." Hans held up an envelope, its royal seal glaring impressively.

The guard took the envelope from his hand, looking it over. "Who are you, sir, to be delivering notes to her Majesty from the Southern Isles?" He asked, his gruff voice evidently trying to frighten him.

"My dear fellow, I am," Hans replied courteously, pausing for effect, "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

The guard had a look of bewilderment. "Your Highness." He bowed, his company of men following suit immediately.

"No, no need for that." Hans quickly waved them off as he smirked inwardly. There was no need to be a pompous jerk in front of the Queen; he had to make sure she thought he didn't care for royalty and all the privileges that followed it.

The guard returned the letter to him, his expression that of guilt. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I should have not been so quick to question you."

Hans smiled widely. "Don't worry. It is only your duty to protect your Queen. You didn't know that it was me. You had every right to interrogate me." The guard inclined his head, showing his gratitude.

"Prince Hans," she greeted him, slowly walking towards him. Her deep blue eyes met his.

He fell to his knees as he had just done moments ago. Why didn't she dismiss her guards? Did she really see him as a threat? To her, he was but a prince. "Your Majesty, may I be the first to congratulate you on your newest title?" He got up once he heard her voice as was the custom.

"Thank you." Her warm tone did not match her cold exterior.

"The King and Queen send their sincere apologies for not being able to attend your delightful coronation, as do my brothers." He handed her the envelope. "I hope you find me acceptable as their representative for the duration of my trip."

She took the envelope, not looking at it whatsoever. "It's fine," she replied softly.

He graced her with a smile and added, "It is an honor to be here, Your Majesty. I'm sure you will be one of the greatest rulers Arendelle has ever had. The Southern Isles looks forward to working with you and your kingdom." This was so boring; he could not say what he really wanted to as they had a nosy audience. He'd have to have a conversation alone with her later to finally be able to begin his task.

A guard burst in. "Sorry, Your Majesty, but it's time for you to enter the ballroom. The guests are wondering where you are and Princess Anna is waiting for you."

"I see." Queen Elsa took a deep breath. She handed the envelope to another guard and turned to Hans, her expression unlike Anna's smitten one. It looked as though she regarded him as any other Person. "Thank you for your kind words, but I must go."

"Of course, Your Majesty," replied Hans, going into a deep bow. He watched her retreating steps and heard only the sounds of the boots of her soldiers. It seemed he had lost round one and now he had to try once more at a conversation with the Queen of Arendelle or else he was stuck with the lovely Princess Anna.


	4. The Equal Score

Hans could see them standing together, the sisters of Arendelle. They were standing close yet so far away from each other. It was as if they weren't that close as sisters. Queen Elsa was speaking to her sister, their voices low. Hans swished the liquid in his glass, his expression angry. He would do anything to know what they were saying. He watched as the Duke of Weselton approached the royal sisters. He offered his hand to dance, the Queen evidently being his target. Hans smirked as the Duke ended up with Princess Anna. It was what the jerk deserved; after all, he was a bit too keen on Arendelle as if he owned the kingdom. Seeing an opening for another conversation with the dear Queen, he downed the rest of his drink and placed it on a random table. He strode towards the Queen, who was laughing at her sister with the Duke. He could do this. It was nothing impossible.

"Hello again." He kept his tone friendly. There were no guards to stop him from saying something that could be repeated as a scandal. "Quite a turnout, isn't it? My congratulations!"

Her head turned to face him, her expression that of confusion. "Thank you."

"That's all we ever say to each other, huh? I compliment you and you respond with gratitude. A bit boring. We should get to know each other more. Let's be done with the endless formalities."

She stared at him. "We've barely met." Her tone seemed to be scolding him.

"Exactly, we need to get to know each other better."

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't think that would be appropriate. You must have gotten the wrong impression."

Hans bit his lip. This wasn't good. He had to do damage control now. "I think you've gotten the wrong impression." His face was a mask of surprise and bewilderment.

She looked taken aback. "I'm sorry?"

"Your Majesty, I was only offering my friendship, nothing more. I did not think my words would be perceived in such an inappropriate manner. I can only ask you to pardon me for saying anything that could have put that thought in your head." Hans bowed his head, wishing for this conversation to be over. As the sister evidently didn't want him, there was no point in speaking with her ever again.

"Of course, I shouldn't have assumed," she replied slowly and softly.

Hans smiled. "I better be off before they assume something entirely untrue." He did not want for a response and just left, grabbing a glass of wine. He was in an awful mood due to that insufferable Queen. He hoped, however, that she believed everything he said because now, he had to get her sister to love him. He also had to wait a bit before saying anything to Princess Anna as it would look suspicious.

"Prince Hans! Your Royal Highness!" cried out a foreign official. He grabbed his shoulder to turn him around. "We missed you during the coronation, Your Highness."

Hans smiled politely at the group of men. "I was in the back. I came in too late to get a good seat."

One of the men laughed. "Should've sent a servant to save you a seat. The Queen looked rather beautiful. You missed a chance." He winked humorously.

"You are seemingly forgetting yourself, sir." His tone was cold and unforgiving. He knew he shouldn't have snapped, but the effect of the rejection was still upon him.

It didn't matter anyway as the man obviously had too many drinks. He just laughed again. "I guess chivalry is not dead in your case, Your Highness."

Hans raised an eyebrow and glanced at the other officials. "It would be for the best if you got him out of here before he does something he'll regret."

Another man nodded and they began dragging the drunk away. The official who had stopped him in the first place stayed with Hans, his face filled with worry. "He wasn't supposed to come, you know? Doesn't do well with parties and drinks. But someone got sick last minute and well, we decided to bring him." He frowned. "Probably wasn't the best decision. We won't make the same mistake again, Your Highness."

Hans nodded. "He wasn't offending me though, sir, but rather, the Queen. I doubt she'd appreciate being talked about in such a way. It's indecent. It was only right to stop him before he got any further."

"Of course, Your Highness." He bowed slightly. "Your consideration for others is to be admired."

"I'm sure you would have done the same." Hans noticed Princess Anna with her sister once again. How long had they been standing there? And did Queen Elsa say anything about him to her sister? That could easily ruin his chances of ending up with Princess Anna.

Following his gaze, the official continued, "They _are_ lovely though, aren't they? Both of them."

"Well, it _is_ coronation day," said Hans. Princess Anna looked murderous. He wondered what her sister could have said to make her angry.

"True." The official chuckled. "How's your father by the way? He's not here, is he?"

"No, he's not," murmured Hans as he lost sight of the Princess. He faced the official, forcing a smile on his face. "But I'm glad he sent me here. Arendelle is a beautiful kingdom."

"Yes, it-oh dear!" The official stumbled as the Princess bumped into him and began to fall.

Hans reached out to grab her before she fell to the ground. "Glad I caught you."

"Hans!"

He gave the drink to a passing waiter and spun her away for a dance.

* * *

"I often had the whole parlor to myself to slide..." Princess Anna sipped her drink delicately.

* * *

She gestured with her hands, accidentally hitting him. "Oops. Sorry."

* * *

"Your physique helps I'm sure too," she said, walking with him around the grounds.

* * *

Hans noticed the white streak in her hair. Did she dye her hair and mess up? If so, what was her original hair color? "What's this?" He pointed to her hair.

"I was born with it. Although I dreamt I was kissed by a troll."

A troll? Really? Hans mentally rolled his eyes. "I like it," he lied. He'd have to convince her to get rid it though when they got married.

* * *

She handed him a pastry. "Yeah, The whole thing! You got it."

Hans took a deep breath before stuffing the pastry in his mouth as she so kindly demonstrated before. He forced himself to laugh with her as it would soon be worth it.

* * *

"Okay. Wait, wait. So you have how many brothers?" she asked, incredulously.

"Twelve older brothers." Demons, actually. "Three of them pretended I was invisible...literally, for two years." And he would be the one with the last laugh when they came to _his _coronation as King of Arendelle.

"That's horrible."

Hans smiled. "It's what brothers do."

"And sisters. Elsa and I were really close when we were little. But then, one day she just shut me out, and...and I never knew why." Her face grew with sadness.

Hans took her hand and replied gently, "I would never shut you out."

* * *

"Can I say something crazy?" asked Hans, ready to finalize this relationship. He kneeled down and took her hand. "Will you marry me?"

She easily answered, "Can I say something even crazier? Yes."

He got up, smiling. That was simple. Unlike Elsa and her stupid formalities. Oh well, she _was _smart, so he shouldn't have expected anything different. But everything was done with now. He got the gullible sister instead. "That's great!"

"Oh my God, we need to plan everything and we'll need my sister's blessing. What flowers do you like?" She went off in a tangent, different ideas popping in her head.

"Um, well-"

"Oh it doesn't matter. I'm sure we'll like the same ones. We _are _perfect together." Princess Anna grinned.

He was going to regret this. Why couldn't Queen Elsa be under his spell like her sister? He would have preferred to deal with the cool, calm sister. "Princess An-"

She waved him off. "We'll have to get rid of that! Just call me Anna." She gasped. "Oh and my dress! We'll need to make sure the outfits match."

Hans sighed. There was no way to stop her, was there? "Anna, aren't-"

"Where will we have it? Do you want it here or at your parents' palace?" Anna looked at him intently. "Come on, Hans! I can't plan it all by myself!" She laughed.

"Anna, let's just start with the basics and then plan the small details. What do we need to get done first?"

"Oh ok, well, let's get my sister's blessing! We'll need to inform her, of course! I mean, can you imagine not telling your own sibling? Or in your case, siblings." She dragged him by his arm, taking him inside.

"Wait, hold on. Your sister?" His stomach gave a lurch. He couldn't face her again so soon after their 'conversation.'

"Yeah, Elsa. Come on, she'll love you!"

Hans scoffed. Well, she didn't. "Do we really need her blessing though? Can't we just get married?"

Anna stared at him and gave him an encouraging smile. "Are you nervous about meeting her? Is it because she's a Queen? Don't worry about it. I was really nervous at first, but she's really cool."

"I don't think we should try to take the night away from her. This is her coronation. Let her have this day for herself. We shouldn't be selfish."

She looked confused. "Selfish?"

"Yes," continued Hans. This could just work if he used the right words. "This is your sister. You haven't seen her in forever. Let her enjoy herself. You want her to be happy, don't you?"

"Of course! She'll be so happy to know that I found true love. She's my sister. What makes me happy, makes her happy too. That's the way with siblings! But you know that, of course, with twelve brothers!" Anna marched in the direction of her sister.

Hans swallowed. No, he didn't. But it didn't matter. In a few seconds, he would be in front of the Queen of Arendelle, announcing his engagement to her sister, the Princess of Arendelle. The same Queen who he tried to win two hours ago and probably had a bad image of him if she did not believe his lies about friendship and such. He could only hope his next conversation with Queen Elsa would turn out better than his last. He doubted he'd be able to fix anything this time if things went wrong.

* * *

**Credit is due to the writers and creators of Frozen for the short scenes with Anna. The rest of dialogue is of my creation.**

**Thank you! **


	5. The Protective Glove

Hans stared at the hand clasping his. He had to keep reminding himself that this is what he wanted: a direct link to the throne of Arendelle. It was a bit difficult though knowing how crazy the girl was. He didn't really want Anna; she wasn't his type at all, but he had to keep in mind that royal couples rarely married for love, at least that was all he knew growing up. It made sense to him. Managing a kingdom was like owning a small business; everything was a business transaction and marriage was not an exception. You had to do what was the best for your kingdom, accumulating as much assets as you could manage. With his head cleared now, he put in an effort to reach the Queen. "Excuse me. Pardon."

"Sorry. Can we just get around you there? Thank you." Anna pulled him through, taking him directly in front of Queen Elsa.

He glanced at her, noticing the recognition in her eyes, and he was pleased to note that he didn't seem to hate him just yet unless of course, she was hiding her true emotions just like him. Anna let go of his hand, rushing to her sister. Hans, on the other hand, stayed behind, waiting for his cue. This was either going to be horrifying or incredibly interesting; he prayed for interesting.

"Oh, there she is. Elsa! I mean, Queen." She quickly curtseyed. "Me again. Um...may I present...," Anna looked around and grabbed his hand, positioning him next to her, "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

Hans had to smile; Anna seemed so awkward in front of her own sister. He, for the first time, actually felt bad for her. He knew what it was like to have an older sibling in a superior position, seemingly looking down on you. He bowed, hating all of royalty and their privileges. "Your Majesty." Her sister was probably wondering why Anna brought him to her now; he could only imagine the confusion in her mind. Anna looked at him and laughed, so he joined in as if he understood why they were laughing.

Anna continued, "We would like…"

"Your blessing…," he added, smiling at Anna. They laughed again before finishing together, "Of our marriage!" Hans looked at the Queen, her face filling with shock and confusion. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"Marriage?" asked Queen Elsa, obviously assuming she heard incorrectly.

Hans nudged Anna, encouraging her to answer. "Yes!" she responded excitedly.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused." Her tone was soft and polite, but most definitely unused.

"Well, we haven't worked out all the details ourselves. We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course, we'll have soup, roast, and ice cream. And then...," her voice drifted off. She turned to look at Hans, "Wait, will we live here?"

"Here?" repeated Queen Elsa, shocked.

If this blessing business did not work out, he at least had a really enjoyable show to remember. Faking his own excitement, he replied, "Absolutely!"

"Anna…," muttered her sister, reminding Hans of his oldest brother. She appeared to be tired, tired of this entire day and now her own sister was just making it worse. Hans wanted to pity her, to comfort her, but that was not possible. He had no right to, so he ignored all the warning signs and continued to stand by Anna.

"Oh, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us."

"What? No. No, no, no, no," said the Queen, echoing Hans' thoughts completely.

Anna rambled on, entirely unaware. "Of course we have the room. I don't know, some of them must..."

The Queen took a deep breath, and slowly said with a calm voice, "Just wait. Slow down. No one's brothers are staying here. No one is getting married.

"Wait, what?" To say Anna was confused is an understatement.

"May I talk to you, please? Alone."

Anna stammered angrily, "No. Whatever you have to say, you...you can say to both of us."

"Fine. You can't marry a man you just met," she replied easily, her tone rumbling with finality.

"You can if it's true love."

"Anna, what do you know about true love?"

"More than you. All you know is how to shut people out." Hans winced once Anna's words registered in his mind; that had to have hurt. And it did. He could see the pain on Queen Elsa's face; he could tell she wanted to say something, something important.

"You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no. Now...excuse me," she replied coldly, walking away.

Hans had to step in; it was the right thing to do. "Your Majesty, if I may ease your-."

She cut him off. "No, you may not. And I...I think you should go. The party is over." Walking past the guard, she said, "Close the gates."

The guard acted immediately and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"What?" Anna rushed after her sister. "Elsa, no. No, wait!" She grabbed her sister's hand, pulling off the glove.

She turned around and demanded, "Give me my glove." Hans noticed a flicker of fear in her eyes. The same fear from the coronation. Did it have to do with the glove?

"Elsa, please! Please! I can't live like this anymore." Anna pleaded, keeping the glove out of her sister's reach. The crowd now took notice of the conversation and began to watch, their interest peaking.

Her face filled with pain and unresolved issues, she answered firmly, "Then leave."

Anna looked as if she was on the edge of crying. "What did I ever do to you?" Her voice began to rise.

"Enough, Anna." There it was again, the tired tone, not a Queen, but a human.

"No! Why? Why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the world out? What are you so afraid of?!" She could not let it go. Hans thought he should go calm Anna down, but there probably was no use. This was going to become a full-blown argument if no one stopped them, causing a scandal.

"I said, enough!" The Queen turned around, ice suddenly shooting from her hands and landing on the floor in the form of spikes. The guests stepped back in fear and surprise.

Hans' eyes widened. This was unexpected. _This _was what she was hiding. He could have never guessed this. That's why she freaked out at the coronation when she had to take off her gloves and now when Anna took her glove. That's why she always wore gloves. And maybe that's why she was so afraid of getting close to other people. Because she had a secret. A curse, more of. Hans met her eyes and she looked worse off than before. Her secret was out and the explosion of fear in her eyes was evident.

"Sorcery. I knew there was something dubious going on here," the Duke spat aloud. Hans wanted to slug him so bad. Couldn't he see that she was afraid?

"Elsa?" Anna's voice was small. The crowd was cheering outside for their Queen, but there was only silence in the ballroom. Anna ran out after her sister, the Duke with his men way before her.

The official from before came to him. "What _was_ that?"

For the first time in his life, Hans was speechless. "I don't know, sir."

The man nodded. They could hear the Duke shouting, claiming that the Queen is a monster. "Do you think she is..?" He inclined his head, not wanting to repeat the Duke's words obviously.

_A witch? _He could hear the unspoken words. Hans closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "No, she's just afraid. She's as human as any of us."

The man was taken aback. "How can you be sure?"

"The thing is…I'm not sure. But we must not assume the worst." He opened his eyes, his resolve made. He had to go after Anna and see what was going on. He needed to know all the facts. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see Princess Anna." Hans marched off, seeing the back of Anna's dress in a hallway of the castle. He sped up, catching up to her.

The crowd outside looked astonished, so they knew about the powers their Queen had. His eyes took note of the frozen fountain. So _that _was how they knew. Anna began to run through the crowd, obviously having seen her sister escape. He followed, seeing that they were approaching the fjord; soon all their questions would be answered as there was no place for the Queen to go from there.

"Wait, please!" Anna called out desperately. The Queen just looked at her before continuing across the fjord, the water freezing as she ran. "Elsa, stop." Anna slipped, falling on the ice.

Hans put his hands on her shoulders. "Anna," he said quietly.

"No," she said, not believing her eyes.

They watched as Queen Elsa reached the forest, the ice spreading past her footsteps. It was freezing the entire fjord! "The fjord." He kept his hands on her shoulders as they looked at the now frozen fjord.

* * *

Returning back to the courtyard, Hans began to feel the coldness coming in. Snow began falling all around them. Was it possible that the Queen's powers put the kingdom through an eternal winter? He looked at Anna, who was obviously confused and upset. "Are you alright?"

"No."

"Did you know?" Hans asked, hoping she knew more than he did.

"No," she replied, glancing at him for a second.

The Duke in front of them was going mad. He bellowed, "Look! It's snowing! It's snowing! The Queen has cursed this land! She must be stopped!" He grabbed one of his guards. "You have to go after her."

"Wait, no," interjected Anna.

The Duke pushed his guards in front of him, protecting himself from Anna. "You! Is there sorcery in you, too? Are you a monster, too?"

Hans rolled his eyes as Anna replied, "No. No. I'm completely ordinary."

"That's right, she is." He put his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him, so he added, "In the best way."

"My-my sister's not a monster," objected Anna.

"She nearly killed me!"

"You slipped on ice." Hans tried to keep his tone polite, but the Duke was irking him so much.

"Her ice!" The Duke was outraged.

"It was an accident. She was scared. She didn't mean it. She didn't mean any of this. Tonight was my fault. I pushed her, so I'm the one that needs to go after her," said Anna.

"What?" He wasn't expecting her to go after her sister. So many things could go wrong. Anna could die, thus making him lose his chance to get the throne of Arendelle.

"Bring me my horse, please." She gestured to a guard waiting by.

Hans took her arm, stopping her. "Anna, no! It's too dangerous."

She had an amused expression on her face as if she knew better than him. "Elsa's not dangerous. I'll bring her back and I'll make this right."

The horse was brought to her. Hans quickly added, "I coming with you."

Anna held his hand tightly. "No. I need you here to take care of Arendelle."

"On my honor," he whispered.

She got on the horse and addressed the crowd. "I leave Prince Hans in charge."

"Are you sure you can trust her?" He kept his voice low, his face looking up to her. "I don't want you getting hurt." Actually, he did now. Since he was officially in charge, he didn't need her anymore. As for Queen Elsa, well, she wouldn't be Queen once he used his influence on certain people. And he would be King.

Anna replied, unaware as usual, "She's my sister, she would never hurt me." She rode off with Hans watching, his plan already in motion.


	6. The Giddy Boy

As soon as she was out of sight, Hans locked himself in one of the rooms in the castle. He had only his servant with him and allowed no one to enter. He had to think. He needed to get all his facts straight and come up with a plan. Every outcome had to be accounted for. His servant didn't know anything about his true intentions; the poor man just thought his master was nervous because he was in charge. If he only knew that Hans was actually in his element. He felt calm and in control.

"Your Highness, is this truly necessary?" asked Edward, tentatively.

Hans paced back and forth. "Yes, we need to be ready for anything. Go through the list once more."

"Yes, sir." He looked at the list. "Princess Anna returns injured, but with her sister."

Hans toyed with his coat. "The Princess is the first priority; wait until she gets better. The Queen is deemed safe and in the right mind, therefore she'll take control of her kingdom once more." Convince everyone that she's not safe and make sure Anna does not survive her injures, he added silently to himself.

Edward nodded. "The Princess returns injured, but alone."

"Let her get better. The Queen is now assumed dangerous; address that issue by banishing her or permanent imprisonment. Until the Princess is old enough, stay in power to protect Arendelle." Kill off the Queen eventually and marry Anna as soon as possible.

"Correct. 'The Princess does not return nor does the Queen.'"

Hans racked through his memory for the answer. "Wait a while and send search parties. If they turn up negative, then inform the diplomats and other officials of Arendelle. They will handle the issue." Advise them using the right words so that they pick him.

"The Queen returns alone."

"Question her on the whereabouts of Princess Anna. No matter what she says, assume it untrue because any true sister would care about their sibling. Give the reins of power to the officials and they will handle it." Convince them of the Queen's treason and kill her off.

"The Q-," began Edward.

Hans stared out the window of the room. It was the middle of summer and it was snowing. It was absolutely amazing. "Let's stop there, Edward."

"Of course, Your Highness." He was silent for a second. "Sir, are you alright?"

_Your Majesty, are you alright?_ That's what the woman in the crowd asked Queen Elsa; at least, that's what she told him when he spoke to those in the crowd. The woman didn't get an answer or at least a legitimate one; she and all of Arendelle got a frozen fountain and now, snow in the middle of summer. A snowed-in kingdom. "No, I'm not," he answered for Elsa. She was only a Queen in a literal sense, but like he told that official before, she was just as human as any of them. Someone with feelings. A person.

"Sir?" Edward looked worried.

Hans turned his head and smiled. "But I must stay strong for Arendelle and Princess Anna. I can't let petty feelings come in the way of my promise to the Princess."

"Of course, but you certainly should address your feelings, Your Highness."

Hans laughed. "Look at us, Edward, all talking about feelings. Certainly unexpected."

"You seem happy, sir." The servant was relieved to hear him laugh.

"It's because I _am_ happy." He truly was. This was better than he expected. He would never regret coming to Arendelle. It served its purpose of being entertaining.

Edward looked him again; the weary Prince was gone and instead there was a young boy, whom he served and played with. The boy's face was glowing. "I'm glad of it." He hadn't seen that look of pure bliss on his master's face ever since his oldest brother turned sixteen. He could remember the memory as clear as ever.

_Hans walked around, his clothes torn, skin caked with mud, and hair mussed up. His expression was that of delight that only made him glow like an angel and look like one too, despite his ragged appearance. One forgot the dirt and just saw the face._

_ "Ed, we'd better fix that hole in the wall later. Don't tell anyone, alright?" He winked, pleased with himself._

_ "Of course, sir." Edward smiled, only a few years older than Hans._

_ Hans was only six and there was certainly an age gap between him and his oldest brother, but he loved him more than anyone else. He could never understand the snickers his other brothers would make when he passed by. Gail told him to ignore them and so he did; Hans had eyes only for his brother. When Gail played with him, the other brothers soon followed and they all had a lovely time. When he was all alone, Gail would cheer him up. He always did. _

_ "Told you a million times, Ed, don't call me that. I'm only Hans."_

_ "Sorry," responded Edward, blushing shyly. "It's just that you're a Prince. I have to be respectful."_

_ Hans smiled, his hazel eyes sparkling. "So be respectful. That's fine. But me being a Prince is nothing. I'm just like you."_

_ "Just like you?" asked Edward, almost telling him the truth, but stopped himself. Sure, he was a servant and worked harder than Hans ever would, but this was Hans. The angelic boy. He couldn't bear to hurt him._

_ "Yeah, you're not what they call you: a servant. You're my friend."He climbed up the stairs._

_ "I guess."_

_ "Don't believe anything otherwise, Ed," he said, his expression serious. "Now, where's Gail? I need to give him my present."_

_ "He's in his room, I think. What did you get him?" asked Edward curiously._

_ He went into his room and began rummaging through his trunk. Hans pulled out a curiously shaped object wrapped in paper. "You'll see. It's great!"_

_ "Alright then. I'll wait downstairs."_

_ Hans looked surprised. "What? Why? Gail loves you as much as I do. You can surprise him too."_

_ "He's probably busy; he will be starting all his new courses today since he'll need to prepare to become King."_

_ "Nah, Gail's never too busy for me." He dismissed the thought easily. "Suit yourself. Wait for me in the hall then."_

_ "Sure," replied Edward, following him out of the room and bowed his head._

_ Hans laughed. "Come on, now you're just trying to tease me." He never did take anything seriously as all innocent boys didn't. He just didn't understand yet._

_ Edward kept an eye on his master while he opened the door of his older brother's room and leaped inside with his present. The young servant could hear their voices of what was supposed to be a lovely conversation._

_ "Happy Birthday, Gail!"Hans' voice was filled with cheer._

_A tired sigh. "You shouldn't be here," answered the brother coldly. Edward couldn't believe it; this was the brother who normally spoke so kindly with Hans, the one sibling who actually cared._

_ "Since when have we cared about rules?" Hans laughed, the last giddy laugh for a long time._

_ The question was ignored. "How can you prance in here, dressed like a homeless man?"_

_ "Gail, stop joking with me. I brought you a present."_

_ "Out! Hans, get out!"_

_ "Gail, stop this. Stop acting like Mom and Dad. Stop acting all proper. Stop acting like you don't love me!" The voice grew to a shout._

_ "Guards!" Several of them entered the room hastily. "Remove His Highness out from my room."_

_ "Yes, Your Highness." A pause. "Your Highness, please, you must leave."_

_ "Gail…" His voice was small and shaky._

_ A guard, carrying Hans, took him out and placed him outside. "Your Highness." He saluted before leaving. Another guard brought his present and placed it gently on the floor next to him._

_ Edward rushed to his side. "Sir, I'm sorry."_

_ Hans began crying, his tears forming streaks down his face. "Gail…"_

_ Someone laughed and Edward looked around angrily for the source. "Look at poor little Hans, all alone now." It was James, a smirk on his face, with his other brothers. "How sad! Even Gail doesn't have time for him now."_

_ "Gail never did. If only he knew…" Another chuckle. This time it was Thomas._

_ "Knew what?" shouted Hans._

_ Louis, Alec, and William all laughed. The triplets responded together, "That it was all a lie."_

_ "A lie?" asked Edward aloud._

_ "Yes, Edward. You see, my youngest brother is so dense." David smiled wickedly. "This whole friendship with Hans and Gail was just an exercise. Father wanted Gail to learn how to pity and comfort even the lowest of subjects. And the perfect test subject was Hans."_

_ "The lonely Hans. No one loves you, brother," replied George._

_ Harry smirked. "We don't definitely."_

_ "Never did," continued Andrew._

_ "We only played with you because, well, that's a secret," added Nero._

_ "Nah, I think I'll tell him." Chris smiled widely. "We wanted a good word with the future King. It's politics, little brother, you'll learn that soon enough. But you missed your chance with Gail. Your loss."_

_ "Have fun playing with your servant. I suspect even he'll leave you." James chuckled once more before leading the group of evil brothers away._

_ Edward looked at his poor master. The tears were all dried up, but his face was still a mess. His expression was that of a dead man's. The angel was gone and now what was left was truly an empty shell. "Hans, don't believe them. His Majesty isn't cruel. And Prince Gail would never do that to you."_

_ "It's true then, isn't it, Ed?" croaked Hans. "Gail was just playing a game. It makes sense. If no one else loved me, why would he? He's better than me, more worthy. I'm not good enough for him."_

_ "Hans…remember what you said? That being a Prince is nothing? That I am just like you? Well, the same goes with you and your brother."_

_ His eyes looked at him, but he was not seeing anything with his usual warmth. He only saw unloving figures before him and everything was darkened. "No. Not with Gail. Gail is perfect. Gail is superior."_

_ "Prince Gail is your brother."_

_ A cold smile appeared on his face. "I don't deserve that."_

And from that day on, Hans was never the same. His weakness, as his master called it now, disappeared and a new Hans emerged. A darker one. He buried his feelings and memories and became a robot, able to change character and personality when needed. He ignored his brothers completely and studied alone. He became the lonely figure that his brothers described him as before; he even severed ties with Edward. There was no more friendship anymore; it didn't register in his mind. But this trip to Arendelle might bring back the old Hans, the mischievous boy from before.

"Edward?" Hans' voice cut through his head.

Edward blinked quickly. "Your Highness?"

"You blanked out for a minute or two. You weren't answering my questions." Hans was amused.

"Sorry, was it that you asked?" Edward bowed his head slightly.

"I was wondering what you thought about the Duke, but never mind, I shouldn't have asked. It doesn't matter." Hans shook his head, reaching to open the door. "I'll see you later then. I've got a rather urgent meeting with some of the ambassadors and diplomats here."

"Going to fix Arendelle's ties with them, sir?"

"I should, right? After all, these relationships are very important and will affect Arendelle."

"Yes, a relationship, no matter how small, should be patched up." Edward looked straight at Hans, taking his chances with this rare opportunity of his master in a good mood.

"If you're implying something, Edward, I suggest you keep it to yourself," answered Hans, coldly. He knew perfectly well what his servant was talking about and had no desire to discuss it. And that was final.

* * *

**This whole flashback was not planned, but I think I could fit it into the plot nicely. Also, in this chapter, we got Edward's POV along with Hans', which goes against my format of this story, but it was needed to get the flashback in. We'll return to the movie plot after a few chapters. These chapters are simply taking place while Hans is off-screen in the movie.**

**Thank you!**


	7. The Most Important Faces

Hans sat on the steps of the ballroom, his head in his hands; he had long given the order to remove the ice Elsa had thrown in defense, so the room looked perfectly normal yet empty. Why was he here? In Arendelle, taking charge of a Queen's wild mistake? He should be courting a lovely princess. This was not the plan. As much as he knew it would be worth it, he hated being behind a mask, a facade. The amusement only lasted a while and soon he was bored. He hated being fake. That was for Gail, not him.

"Sir, Your Highness," a page stammered behind him. Hans lifted his head, listening intently. "His Excellency, the Minister of State, wishes the honor of your presence in the library."

"Did he say why?" asked Hans, his head still pounding with an insufferable headache.

"No, no, sir." The page sounded nervous.

Damn the minister, damn them all. He didn't need this, not right now. He just wanted some time alone, but apparently he couldn't even get that. Hans sighed. "Help me up, then."

"I'm sorry, sir?" The page hurried into view, his dirt stricken face full of bewilderment. The boy was young, no more than ten years of age. His light brown hair was plastered to his face and his cheeks red from working hard outside. "You mean-?" He stopped from embarrassment.

Hans raised an eyebrow and held out his hand. "Problem?"

"Of course not, sir, it's just that...," he replied slowly and revealed his mud crusted hands. "You'll need to be presentable for the Minister."

"And what's the harm in a little dirt?"

The boy smiled, reminding Hans of himself. The expression defined the boy, not his appearance or occupation. The page grasped Hans' hand and pulled him up with a swift jerk. Hans stumbled a bit, not expecting to experience the boy's strength. The page quickly apologized, but Hans waved him off.

"What's your name?" asked Hans, slowing his pace to speak with the curious page.

"Jay, sir."

"Do you know the Queen well?" Hans had no idea where the question came from, but it burst out of his mouth in a rush.

The page seemed astonished. "Not really, sir. I'm only a page. Besides, Her Majesty stayed in her room forever, never even left for meals; they were delivered to her. Suppose it was because of her powers. I feel sorry for her though." His cheeks reddened, thinking he spoke too much. "Sir."

Hans frowned, his face thoughtful. "Why?" He assumed the majority of the people thought her a monster; why would they pity her?

"Well, sir, it must have been incredibly lonely. Don't you think so?"

"You're not afraid of her? Of what she can do?" asked Hans. This page was quite a wonderment.

"Are you, sir?" Jay stopped before the doors of library.

"No, of course not," murmured Hans.

The smile widened. "There's your answer. She's my Queen; I'll stand by her no matter what. My family had served her family for centuries. That sort of loyalty digs deep inside of your heart and is never tarnished. You grow to care for the family you've served and become an overbearing mother to them. That sort of affection never dies."

Hans laughed. "What a curious boy you are, Jay."

Jay stared at him, his eyes never wavering. Hans felt as though he were being examined. "Pardon for my saying this, but I could say the same for you, sir. You're unlike any Prince I've ever met."

Hans' expression darkened. "Worse, I suppose?"

"I'm not the judge of your character, sir, but you have some good qualities." The page bowed. "Good day, sir."

Hans nodded in acknowledgement, his hand on the door handle, ready to face the others. He noticed the dirty smudges on his hands from the page and smiled. Perhaps he'll ditch the meeting and do what he'd like instead. He didn't have to be perfect all the time. Hans let go of the handle and followed Jay's path down the hallway. This hallway looked down at the snowy villages and towns. He glanced out, feeling as though he were sixteen again.

* * *

_It was his sixteenth birthday and he was all alone in his room. It wasn't supposed to be like this; there was a party downstairs for him with guests from all over. He was supposed to be with everyone, laughing and having a good time, or at least, looking as though it was the best day of his life. Today was a planned show, but Hans didn't abide by the script; he didn't even show up. He didn't want to be there. It was his birthday and he wanted a day to himself. A day where he didn't have to pretend to be the golden boy who loved everyone and was never upset. He wanted a day where he could sulk and no one would judge._

_So there he was in his bedroom, reading a book and glaring at every page._

_A knock disturbed his silence, making him look up at intruder. It was the King, dressed in joyful colors, but wearing the most terrible expression on his face. "Your guests have been asking about you."_

_"Have they gotten bored of Gail and finally remembered that another brother has birthday today and he hasn't showed up for the past few hours?"_

_The King's face grew sterner. "Speaking of your brother, he wanted to see you."_

_Hans laughed coldly and replied, "Send him in then."_

"_You're taking his future from him, Hans; so far, you've done extremely well in maintaining a good relationship with the people and foreigners, but this one night can ruin everything. Presentation is everything, you know that. If they see a proper royal family, then it will increase our chances of gaining alliances and trade partners. You're destroying our relationships with other royal families. No one wants to attach themselves to a torn family. They'll think to themselves, 'If they can't manage a family, then how on earth will they rule a kingdom?' And then our entire kingdom will fall."_

"_Well, we're even then. You got what you deserved."_

"_But your brother!"_

_Hans shook his head. "He's just like you; I won't help his cause because it simply isn't a good one."_

_The King looked at him sadly. "What happened to my cheerful boy? The boy of no faults?" He opened the door to call Gail over and stepped out to leave._

_Hans had a ghost of a smile on his face. "He finally got a fault, Father."_

_The door squeaked open and a tall figure stepped in hesitantly. Hans wanted to laugh; Gail never hesitated. "Hello, Hans. Happy birthday." He sounded uncomfortable._

"_Skip the pleasantries, Gail. You sound pathetic."_

"_There is no need for rudeness, brother." Gail managed to stay calm._

_Hans chuckled. "I'm not one of your servants, Gail. You can't order me around."He closed his book, but refused to look up to his brother. He instead stared at his midsection._

_Gail wore some new outfit, shiny and pressed because he had to look perfect. "Why can't you understand what needs to be done for this family? You need to look at the bigger picture, Hans; we serve a greater purpose than ourselves. We need to think about the family and its reputation, not about what we want to do. Why is that so hard for you to do?"_

"_So hard for me to do? I've been doing it for quite some time, Gail," he barked. "Or have you been too busy to notice that?"_

"_I'm disappointed in you, Hans. I thought you were different. I thought I treated you well and this is how you repay me? This is how you repay your family?"_ _Gail strode over and turned the chair to face him. He knelt down and took a hold of Hans' chin forcing the boy to look at his brother._

_Hans saw the combed back hair, so stark black that it reminded him of his father. He saw the thin gold crown perched on top of his head. He saw gray eyes, the gray eyes that always stared at him so honestly before. He looked at his brother's face and saw nothing from the past. He saw only the present. He saw a machine welded to perfection. "I'm sorry," Hans whispered, going against everything he had planned in his head. "For what they've done to you."_

_Gail laughed, but it wasn't him laughing; it was the Prince and future King laughing. "No one has done anything. I'm me."_

_"No, you're not. Can't you see what they've done to you?" shouted Hans._

_Gail stopped laughing and stood up, noticing the serious expression on Hans' face. He composed himself and replied coldly, "It's for the best. You must always think of what's best for the kingdom. Stop being so selfish."_

_"It doesn't have to be you though," said Hans softly._

_Gail raised an eyebrow. "Then who?"_

_"Anyone but you, Gail," answered Hans, keeping his voice still._

_Gail turned away, retreating back to the party. "Many happy returns, Hans." He left the door open as if it were an open invitation._

_He took it and went downstairs, apologizing pompously to everyone. He didn't want to, but he had to for his brother's sake. Gail still affected him despite everything that had happened. That birthday wasn't spent alone in the literal sense, but Hans felt alone, amongst all the people he had no care for. He could still remember seeing his brother standing in the middle of a crowd, his eyes only on Hans, raising his glass to him silently._

* * *

"Your Highness!" The minister exclaimed. "What is this?"

"Pardon?" Hans raised an eyebrow, his eyes still on the village below.

"I called you for a meeting half an hour ago and you keep us waiting outside! That is the most unacceptable behavior, You Highness!" The man was at his side now, his anger evident on his face.

Hans looked down still, now noticing the small details that escaped him before. Like the men struggling with the chopped wood and the children locked up indoors. And the people suffering from the unexpected snowstorm. Something had to be done. "I was thinking. I must have lost track of the time. My apologies."

"And what were you pondering over that made you miss the meeting?" asked the minister, fighting to keep his voice level down.

Hans turned around, facing the officials. He could see Gail with his glass raised. Edward with his concerned face peering back at him. Elsa with her shocked expression as her powers were revealed. And lastly, Jay with earnest personality and dirty appearance. Hans answered slowly, his voice low, "We need to discuss our plans for Queen Elsa's subjects; they are in dire need of our help. We should begin assembling supplies immediately." One by one, the surprised faces of the dignitaries took place of Gail, Edward, Elsa, and Jay, leaving Hans all alone once again, fending for himself.


	8. The Devastating Blow

**I'm kind of getting bored with the movie plot now. It's gets annoying having to reference the movie so many times, so I rushed this chapter a bit. Sorry if it seems sloppy then. Anyway, after this chapter, movie plot is done and we can begin the fun part.**

**Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Hans stared at the elegant ice palace looming above them. He was in awe; who knew ice could be so beautiful? Every part of the structure was perfectly designed and looked fantastic. Elsa sure knew her stuff. He didn't know what he wanted to find inside the palace. Would it be better to have Anna dead or lost forever? For once, he was not prepared.

Hans leaped off his horse, addressing the men accompanying him. "We are here to find Princess Anna. Be on guard, but no harm is to come to the Queen." At least not yet. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," they answered in unison.

He marched confidently to the staircase, his amazement still evident. The ice looked like crystal, making it look only more stunning. Suddenly, a creature of some sort jumped out from the snow. It was a large snowman, an obvious defense for the palace. He drew out his sword, ready to fight. Hans wanted to slap himself; he should have thought of this. Of course Elsa would place protection around her fortress. She was a Queen!

He didn't have time to dwell on this as the snowman pushed his mean, including himself, out of the way. Hans got up in a rush, his eyes taking notice of Elsa at the doorway for a second.

"The Queen!" a man stated, determination on his face. Hans recognized him as one of the Duke's men; he had to keep an eye on them for surely the Duke was up to no good. "Come on." The man rushed along with his fellow soldier inside.

Hans focused on defeating Elsa's monster-rather creation. He could hear the shouting of the men and their stamping feet inside. He wondered what was going on in there.

"No! Please!" It was Elsa. The Queen.

Hans' head snapped up, his eyebrows furrowed. What just happened? What were they doing to her? This was bad, quite terrible. He couldn't have her dead, not right now. All the blame would be on him. He just had to see what was happening. He had to assess the situation. Hearing the warning cries of his men, he looked back up, surprised. The snowman was almost on top of him; he was going to die. This was the end. Hans grasped his sword and swung with all his might. The sword passed through the leg quite easily, causing the snowman to fall over.

He got up, his men surrounding him. He dismissed their help and sprinted up the stairs, slipping a bit. He couldn't bring himself to speak. He could only hear the noise above.

"Fire. Fire!" One of the Duke's men.

"Get her." The other soldier.

Hans entered the room, taking a quick scan of it. One man was stuck by a bunch of icicles. The other was outside in the cold breeze, about to fall by a mass of ice. Elsa was standing in the center of the room, a terrible expression on her face. Her hands were outstretched, commanding the ice with just the slightest movements.

She almost looked cruel.

"Queen Elsa!" His voice was desperate, one that could be interpreted as pleading "Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

Her breathing seemed to stop as she slowly glanced around. It appeared as though she finally knew what she was doing. The ice mass stopped and she did as well. She looked as though the world's weight was upon her only moments ago. She was just so tired that Hans pitied her.

His quick eyes took notice of the crossbow being ready to fire and he dashed near the man, aiming the crossbow out of Elsa's range. Instead, the arrow hit the chandelier, falling towards Elsa. She moved out of the way, but not fast enough. Hans winced as she fell down by her own creation. Her own palace had failed her.

"Get them," he ordered to his men. "Take them back to the castle and make sure they are dealt with." His tone was cold and unforgiving. His plans were ruined because of this, but he could make this work. Maybe.

"Sir," replied one of the men hesitantly. "What about the Queen?"

Hans let out a deep breath. "I'll take care of her." He walked over to his limp body, the ice broken into pieces on top of her. He brought his arms around her, lifting Elsa up. Her skin was as cold as expected and he could feel her steady and slow heartbeat through his clothes. Her breathing was soft, but brought a puff of cold air against his face often. Taking careful steps, he went downstairs, following his men. It would be impossible to bring her back to the castle on a horse safely. They would have to make the trip on foot. Hans informed the men of his decision, but they simply agreed with little protest and took his horse with them. He began the trek with Elsa never moving a bit.

* * *

He could see her struggle against the chains on her hands. It was distressing to watch, but he had to take the precaution. She would probably escape otherwise. Nodding towards the guard, the door was opened for him and he entered. He saw the recognition in her eyes, but how much did she remember?

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, distraught.

"I couldn't just let them kill you," he said, speaking the truth for the first time.

"But I'm a danger to Arendelle. Get Anna." She sounded weaker than before as if she had given up.

Hans wanted to laugh, or actually, he wanted to feel the desire to laugh, but it never came up. Why did he have some sympathy for her? Why now? "Anna has not returned." She turned away from him, staring out the window at the frozen fjord. "If you would just stop the winter, bring back summer. Please." His voice was smooth, emotions bursting out of it. He bit his lip, uncertain with what was going on. He was feeling nothing, no motivation to make her life hell. None whatsoever. "Gail," he muttered under his breath. "Come on now, _Gail_!" There. There it was. The stark black hair. The cold eyes. The elegant crown.

Elsa took no notice of him. She was too involved with her own demons. "Don't you see, I can't. You have to tell them to let me go."

"I'll do what I can." He turned around and walked out, a smirk blooming on his face. It was back. _He_ was back.

* * *

He was speaking with some of the dignitaries; they were being most unhelpful though, trying to advise him. "I'm going back out to look for Princess Anna."

"You cannot risk going out there again," protested one of them, his French accent evident.

"If anything happens to her..." he replied wearily. He needed to know whether or not she was dead. Once he knew that, he could deal with Elsa.

"If anything happens to the Princess, you are all Arendelle has left."

The doors open in rush and several people entered, mainly servants. "He's in here. Prince Hans," said the older one, holding Princess Anna up.

"Anna!" Hans ran to her side and picks her up. Her hair was completely white now and her skin was like ice, sort of like Elsa's, but a tad more darker as if it didn't belong. "You're so cold."

"Hans, you have to kiss me." She was in a frenzy.

He looked surprised, not expecting this at all. "What?"

"Now! Now!" she declared, seemingly crazy.

"Slow down." He laughed, trying to sort through the confusion. The servants began to leave, smiles appearing on their faces. The dignitaries followed, their faces not amused. "What happened out there?"

"Elsa struck me with her powers," she answered.

This was Elsa's doing? The one who just asked for her sister moments ago? "You said she'd never hurt you."

"I was wrong." Her voice was low. She doubled over in pain.

"Anna?" He picked her up sets her down on the couch nearby. Why did Elsa have to have magical powers? It just made everything much more complicated. He sat by her, waiting for an explanation.

"She froze my heart and only an act of true love can save me," continued Anna.

"A true love's kiss," whispered Hans. She actually believed in him, in his fake love. She loved him. How amusing. He stroked her face gently and leaned in to kiss her, just to play along, but then stopped. This was going to be entertaining. "Oh, Anna. If only there was someone out there who loved you."

"What?" She looked utterly shocked. He got up and walked towards the window. "You said you did," she said, not wanting to believe her ears. Her statement stood out like an accusation. A challenge.

And Hans took it.

He closed the curtains; it wouldn't do good to let the people see their poor princess dying. They might save her. "As thirteenth in line in my own kingdom, I didn't stand a chance. I knew I'd have to marry into the throne somewhere." He stopped his story there, not wanting to say anymore.

"What...what are you talking about?" She seemed to think it was a game, some sort of trick.

"As heir, Elsa was preferable, of course, but no one was getting anywhere with her. But you..." His voice drifted off.

"Hans?"

"You were so desperate for love, you were willing to marry me, just like that. I figured, after we married, I'd have to stage a little accident for Elsa." He grabbed a pitcher of water from the table and poured the water on the fireplace, putting the fire out. He could hear Anna fall to the floor. _It was just a game, little Anna. Just a game._

"Hans. No, stop," she objected as if hearing his unspoken words.

"But then she doomed herself, and you were dumb enough to go after her."

"Please." There it was. The begging. The pleading. Thankfully none of the remorse and pity he had with Elsa was there.

"All that's left now is to kill Elsa and bring back summer," finished Hans easily.

"You're no match for Elsa." There's strength in her voice, something Hans hasn't heard ever since he met her.

There's a laugh in his throat, ready to burst free. Hans walked over to Anna and bended down, taking her chin in his hand. "No, you're no match for Elsa." He can play with her, just as he did with her sister. Except it will just be a bit more difficult. But a lot more fun. "I, on the other hand, am the hero who is going to save Arendelle from destruction." He turned and walked towards the door

"You won't get away with this." Where was this confidence coming from? She was about to die!

He opened the door and glanced at her. "Oh, I already have." He didn't wait for her response, rather he just locked the door. He could hear her crawling over and trying to open the door. He could hear her desperate voice calling for help. He could hear it all the way to the hall with the dignitaries where he fakes a grieving lover and they all lap it up.

* * *

Hans sprinted out into the blizzard once more. It was getting stronger, but that didn't matter. Elsa apparently escaped; at least that was what the guards said. He gritted his teeth, absolutely frustrated and fed up with this kingdom. They couldn't get anything done at all.

He could see a figure walking slowly in the storm, their head down and posture slouched. It could only be the Queen. Who else would be outside right now? He already got rid of the insufferable sister back at the castle. No one else in their right mind would be here. He hurried over, wanting to get this over with. She spotted him, but her face reveals only determination. "Elsa! You can't run from this!"

"Just take care of my sister!" she replied, her voice rising.

"Your sister? She returned from the mountain weak and cold. She said that you froze her heart." It was as close to the entire truth and that was certainly good enough for him. Besides, he wanted to see a broken Elsa. Anna was born with flaws in her personality. Elsa had her powers, but they weren't flaws. He had to see Gail—no, Elsa in an emotional wreck.

"No." There was disbelief written all over her face.

Yes, it was coming… "I tried to save her, but it was too late. Her skin was ice, her hair turned white." He took pleasure in her reaction. There was no more sympathy now. "Your sister is dead...because of you."

"No," she repeated, falling to her knees in distraught. The blizzard stops and silence reigns around them. She begins to cry, not paying attention to her surroundings. She was a pool of emotions.

Hans smirked, his expression mirroring Elsa's in her palace. He took out his sword. It killed her snowman and now she would die as well. He raised it; if only Gail could see him now. If only his other brothers could. He would be King.

_Hans!_

Hans dismissed the noise from his head; it couldn't have been the younger Gail. It was just a trick. He prepared to lower the sword; this was his moment. He closed his eyes and brought down the sword. He could hear feet coming his way. It was over. Too late to save Elsa.

_Hans!_

_No, Hans!_

The noise grew louder. The footsteps came closer. And he made contact, the swords not going through her skin quickly as he expected, but the sword bounced back, a huge explosion ripping through his body from the impact, causing him to fall back.

_Hans!_

A weight is upon him. He cannot get up. His eyes won't open. Everything just slipped away.

_ "Gail, where are we going?" Hans is five and his childish voice shows it. He wore his court clothes and they felt very stuffy. He hated wearing them, but Gail asked him to. So he did. Now his brother was leading him somewhere. Somewhere nice he said._

_ "It's a surprise." Gail is not smiling; his face looks dangerous, but Hans is not afraid. He knows his brother. He would never hurt him. "Alright, close your eyes, Hans."_

_ "Now?" he asked, giggling a bit. He feels so happy every time he's around Gail, even though Gail sometimes acts strangely. "Only if you smile." His own grin is already on his face._

_ Gail frowns, prompting a laugh from Hans. "Just close your eyes. I'll smile later when you smile from my surprise."_

_ Hans closes his eyes, the sweet smelling air becoming more apparent to him. "Okay, I'm ready."_

_ "Take my hand," his brother's voice ordered. Gail's hand feels rough, but at the same time, fragile. He guides him for a few minutes out in the country and then stops. "Open them."_

_ Hans slowly cracks open his eyes and his vision adjusts to the bright sun beating down on him. In front of him, there's a brilliantly shining lake, the light reflecting off of it. He lets go of his brother's hand and walks gradually towards to the lake. He kneels down and scoops up some water._

_ "Hans!"_

_ He turns his head, the water dripping from his hands. Hans squints to see his brother, the light gleaming off his crown. Gail is also dressed in fancy clothes, but he wears them better than Hans does. He looks like a King. "What?"_

_ "I promised," he simply replied._

_ "Huh?" The confusion is evident on his face. "What do you mean?"_

_ Gail doesn't answer. He just smiles._

_ Hans' gaze softens and he smiles back._

_Hans!_

Hans opened his eyes, blinking wildly. The sun was shining. There were people talking nearby. What happened? He got up tiredly and saw Anna. Anna? Wasn't she dead? And there was Elsa? He killed her; he definitely remembered that. The blond man has a death glare about him and was about to approach him before Anna stopped him. She walked over to him, an angry expression on her face.

"Anna?" He argued, "But she froze your heart."

"The only frozen heart around here is yours." She turned away from him. Elsa mirrored the same expression as she ordered the guards to take him away. Hans could only obey; he didn't know what else to do. He hadn't thought any of this would happen. He didn't plan enough.

He was taken to a ship with some of the more annoying dignitaries. He stood, listening to the conversation between the servant and the French diplomat.

"I will return this scoundrel to his country. We shall see what his twelve big brothers think of his behavior," declared the diplomat passionately.

"Arendelle thanks you, my Lord," replied the servant, ready to leave.

Hans snorted. This was entirely stupid. As if his brothers could correct his behavior. But he couldn't go back. Not now. Not like this. He had to do something. "Wait!"

The servant and diplomat turned to look at him, their hatred evident. "What do _you_ want?"

"I want a fair trial. Right here. In Arendelle." He could only hope that they had that here. Not all countries adopted that rule.

"A trial?" asked the servant snidely.

"Yes," continued Hans. 'It's the just thing to do."

"Her Majesty doesn't need to be just to you." The servant frowned harshly. "After all, if you remember, you did attempt to kill her."

Hans mentally rolled his eyes. As if he could forget. "A trial with the dignitaries and diplomats of Arendelle as the deciding jury," he insisted. "Ask her. Ask the Queen. If she had a true heart, she would agree to my request. If she believes justice is on her side, then she has nothing to fear."

The servant sighed. "Fine. I shall ask her. But don't cry to me when she says no." He turned away. "Good day."

Hans smiled, receiving another scowl from the diplomat. Yes, it was certainly a good day, he thought, as he was escorted down to the castle and into a cell.


	9. The Stronger Brother

Hans sat on the cold stone bench, waiting patiently for the Queen and his fate. Was it really just a week ago when she was here chained? When he was the one with all the power and control? Now their positions were reversed. He smiled grimly. And it was a gross miscalculation on his part.

"Prince Hans," she greeted him, a frown set upon her marked face. Her fury was cold, the most dangerous of all anger, he noted. She wasn't about to let emotions get in the way of this conversation.

"Elsa." He kept a cool attitude, knowing that he could very well lose this chance of freedom if he let his rage take control. He couldn't have what happened last time in this very room. The loss of control was devastating, but thankfully she wasn't in her right mind at the time to notice. This time, however, nothing would escape her. He had to choose his words carefully.

Her frown became more prominent. "You have no right to address me like that."

Hans smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Would you like me to add other more preferable titles to your name?"

"I don't have to do this, Hans. You could very well be on your way to the Southern Isles, receiving your punishment there." She sounded frustrated, more annoyed and tired than he expected.

"I could be, but I'm not. I'm here."

"Most people would be grateful, not acting in an arrogant manner."

"But I'm not most people."

She replied quietly, "Of course not. Most people don't try to murder a Queen."

Hans looked down at his pale hands, his eyebrows knitted. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this! He planned ahead and plotted all the outcomes. He was supposed to be King already! But that insufferable Anna and her stupid suitor ruined it all. "That was a low blow."

"Was it, Hans?"

He kept his eyes on the thin veins spread out, knowing that they powered the hands that held the sword. Where was his sword now? Probably destroyed by the Queen herself. "What are you going to do?" he asked evenly, his words gritty.

"I'll grant your request for a trial in front of the diplomats of Arendelle."

Hans looked up in surprise; he had not expected this. He thought she would dismiss him to his parents as she had every right to. "I knew you would be kind to me." He noticed her finger flexing and wondered if she wanted to hurt him. "You have a strong sense of justice; I read you perfectly."

Her eyes narrowed. "Your brother is here, waiting to speak to you."

"Gail?" He stood up, his stance defensive.

"Yes, I thought he should come here to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't try to do anything suspicious." Her expression was cool and collected. She was definitely enjoying this unexpected show of emotion after his previous comment about her. "I'll leave you to it then."

As she turned to leave, he asked, "It must have been awful to sit here, not aware of what will or did happen, wasn't it?"

"Worse than you expect." Her tone was icy. "Or perhaps exactly as you planned." She knocked against the door strangely, but Hans soon realized why. The door opened, revealing a dark figure who could only be Prince Gail of Southern Isles.

He bowed to the Queen's retreating figure whereas she only nodded in acknowledgement. As soon as she left, Gail's face hardened and his mouth was set in a scowl.

"What were you thinking?" he thundered, pacing furiously. "Were you thinking at all? Southern Isles will be in ruin because of this scandal. A prince, a lowly greedy prince, attempts to murder a Queen. How do you think they'll think of us now?"

"Gail-," interjected Hans, having never seen him this mad before. He always had a cold anger like Elsa's, not this hot furious rage.

"You held a sword at her neck, Hans! A sword! You were going to execute her! You! Not even an official executioner!"

"Gail, I only wanted-," began Hans, his voice feeble, not at all strong and confident as before with Elsa. Why did he have to yell? He could deal with disappointment, but all this emotions? So unlike Gail. So ungraceful. So commoner-like. How uncool.

As if he could hear Hans' thoughts, Gail lowered his voice, speaking urgently, "Yes, yes, I know. You wanted to be King. You wanted her position. But that doesn't help your case at all. No one will vote in your favor, Hans!"

"Do you trust me then, Gail? Are you on my side?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course I am. We can't have you imprisoned. If you can somehow convince the people of your innocence, then your life will be so much easier. The weight will be lifted from Southern Isles. I need you to win, but it's impossible. This isn't some small infraction; you attempted to murder someone."

"Don't worry about it. I got it covered."

Gail sighed, removing his crown to ruffle his hair. "I hope so." His impassive voice returned as he replaced the crown on his head. "But you still need to apologize."

Hans' eyes widened. "To her?"

"To all of Arendelle. A formal apology both in private and public." He grasped Hans' hand and pulled him up. "I want it to be done today though. Her Majesty is probably planning to have the trial tomorrow to be done with it, so we need you to make the first move. It might sway the people to your side. It's smart politically."

No, this wasn't right. Gail would be in charge of him and this situation once more. He couldn't have that. "Fine, but if I apologize, then I want a few favors in return." If Gail was here already, he might as well be put to good use.

"You're in no position to ask for favors," replied Gail sternly.

Hans chuckled. "Unless you want me to lose on purpose, brother. Think of Southern Isles, Gail."

Gail's face was deeply marked, but he said stiffly, "Go on."

"I need a room, not a cell. Get me one upstairs, somewhere where they place all the noble guests. And I want the day to myself after I apologize. Edward can see to me, but that's all. The rest of the day is mine. That is all. Think you can manage that, Gail?"

"I'll do my best," promised Gail, a frown apparent on his face.

"Then I'm sure I'll get what I want."

Hans and his brother followed the page escort into the throne room, where Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and the blond suitor awaited. There was only fierce determination in Gail's face until the royal sisters came into view; then, his face smoothed over and became solemn. Hans was not surprised by his brother's personality change as it happened so often. He, on the other hand, shot a furious glare at the suitor.

He whispered into Gail's ear. "I want him out. He can't be here."

"How many times do I have to tell you? You're at their mercy right now until the trial is over; you cannot ask for any favors," he hissed in reply.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Gail of the Southern Isles, accompanied by His Highness, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles," announced the page loudly.

Gail stepped forward, bowing in direction of both the Queen and her sister. "Your Majesty. Princess."

Hans followed in suit, but did not address them at all. He waited instead for his brother's cue.

He cleared his throat. "I want to express my deepest apologies for my brother's actions recently. My father, the King of Southern Isles, wishes for Arendelle to know that we do not stand by what Hans did at all. Whatever you plan to do to him is proof of your generosity as what would have awaited him in our native land is much worse."

"The result of the trial may be harsher than expected by your father," replied the Queen.

Gail bowed his head. "We understand that, Your Majesty, but that is not the reason for this interruption. My brother would like to apologize to you both."

"Really? Or did you force him to?" asked Anna sarcastically, earning a nudge from her suitor.

Hans took a deep breath before standing near his brother. He looked up at Queen Elsa, taking note of her features. Was this the same person who cried in front of him? The helpless girl who begged for his help? "Yes, uh, what my brother says is true. I'm very sorry for what I did. My jealousy took a hold of me and I wasn't in the right mind. I shouldn't have done that." He kneeled once more. "I hope you can forgive me."

"It won't change the outcome of the trial," answered the Queen.

"I know. I don't expect it to."

"I was told that you wanted to apologize to my people."

He nodded. "Yes, I thought it would be right."

"I won't allow you to." She stood up, her posture powerful.

"Your Majesty, may I speak to you in private? The Princess may stay if she'd like, but I would rather not have my brother around," interjected Gail quickly. Hans snorted. So much for Gail's idea.

She sighed, a crack forming in her castle. "Guards, take Prince Hans to the library for the time being. Make sure he does not leave."

Hans glowered. "I don't need to have an escort, but if you're really worried, Edward can stay with me."

"My men will be stationed outside the doors. You may have whoever you like in there, but they will come with you."

"Fine." He retreated out of the throne room with the guards on his feet. "Where is Edward?" he asked them.

"He was waiting for you, Your Highness."

"Good." He marched through the hallway, feeling as though he had won the game already.

* * *

**A shorter chapter than expected, but we finally get to meet Gail. The trial will be in the chapter after the next in case you're wondering. Next chapter, however, will shed some light on Hans, Elsa, and Gail.**

**Thank you!**


	10. The Cold Cold Face

"You're not going to eat?" asked Gail, peering over his notes at Hans. He had taken a break from negotiations with Elsa and decided to have dinner with Hans, but refused to tell his brother anything that they had discussed.

Hans raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that hungry. I'm more interested in your conversation with our dear friend, Elsa of Arendelle."

"Queen Elsa," snapped Gail. "Besides, nothing is official yet, so it's pointless to say anything that might get your hopes up."

"Managed to pierce her stony exterior, brother?" asked Hans, amused. "I can certainly say she has to you. Look how calm you are now."

He frowned. "I can't waste anymore time yelling at you while juggling negotiations with a Queen." He sighed, tapping his pen against his face.

"You're in your element, Gail," observed Hans. "You were born to do this."

"Get you out of a murder charge? Yes, it's my dream job." He rolled his eyes.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty would like your presence in the throne room once more," announced Edward, who has been standing outside for this exact message.

Gail stood up, taking his papers with him. "Try to plan for your defense, brother. You'll need to."

"Good luck, Gail."

Edward handed him the crown. Gail adjusted it on his head before answering uncertainly, "Thank you."

"Pour yourself a drink before you go. You might need it." He gestured to the wine bottles unopened.

"I don't drink. Only on the most important occasions."

"You'll want one, I assure you, but it's your loss."

Gail called out behind him, "And most surely your gain."

Hans returned his attention to his servant and asked eagerly, "Edward, do you know anything?"

"About what, Your Highness?" prompted Edward.

"Anything. What happened with the blizzard? What is my brother talking about with Elsa? I need to know something at least."

"The blizzard, sir, ended because Her Majesty finally realized how to control her powers. As for your brother's negotiations, I had no idea what is going on."

"How did she control her powers?"

Edward paused. "I'm not so sure, Your Highness. Apparently it was through love."

"Love?" Hans snorted.

"Yes, sir." Edward paused. "Pardon my asking, but did you really attempt to kill Queen Elsa?"

Hans replied tiredly, "Yes, I did." They all asked the same questions; it was so annoying. He held out his glass. "Now pour me a drink, Edward."

* * *

He heard the door creaking open and the murmuring of the guards. Hans looked up groggily to see Elsa standing up in all her glory.

"I didn't know you were still here."

"You never called for me." He poured out the last of the wine in his glass, spilling some on the table.

She stared at the empty wine bottles, her face impassive. "Where's your man?"

"Edward?" He laughed. "Told him to go a long time ago."

"You've been drinking," she declared, her tone accusing.

"Obviously." Hans raised his glass. "To your health, Elsa." He downed the drink instantly and threw it against the wall, breaking it completely.

She was unfazed by the broken glass. "Why to my health, Hans? I thought you wanted me dead."

A knowing smile filled his face. "You ask the wrong questions, Elsa."

"Your brother is quite a determined man," she said abruptly.

"Has he caught you in his web already? What a perfect little prince." He laughed harshly.

"You should go to bed, Hans," she replied finally.

"How curious you are, my dear Elsa," he drawled, getting up unsteadily. "You're such an interesting puzzle," he raised his hand to his face. "I carried you in my arms, you know. All the way back to Arendelle."

She narrowed her eyes. "Hans, if this is some kind of joke..," she replied stiffly.

He smiled. "It's incredibly disorienting to talk to his double. You're so much like him."

"Him?" she asked curiously.

"Gail." He took some staggering steps towards her, his hand reaching out to touch her face. It was colder than the last time, but soft. "Sometimes, I want to love you and be loyal to you forever. Other times, I want to hurt you to the point of murder and perhaps even more." He kept his hand on her cheek, leaning in slightly to her cold exterior. "You're free, Elsa. I envy that Anna has a sister who has set herself free. Gail's demons chain him to the floor, unable to fly to his heart's desire." His face was quite close to hers now and he could feel her chilling breath once more.

Her eyes widened with surprise and she took a step back, but his other hand grasped hers, keeping her in place. "Hans!" Her voice was alarmed when his head drooped down on her shoulder.

"Your skin is so cold," he said slowly and sleepily. His hand fell to his side, no longer on her cheek.

Elsa had no idea what to do. She steered him in the direction of a chair, making sure that he did not get hurt. As soon as she left his side, he called out softly, his voice almost childish in its innocence, "Don't leave me, Elsa. Not like him."

She stopped in her tracks. Another comparison to Gail. She shook her head. It was all an act, just a trick. He probably wanted her to let her guard down. She left the room and summoned Edward to his young master's side. When Edward entered, Hans was already asleep, ridges all across his forehead.

* * *

Hans opened his eyes slowly, his lids feeling as though they weighed a ton. He could hear the regular bustling of the castle outside, but it was sort of peaceful here. In his head, it felt as though his mind exploded.

"Sir, you're awake," said Edward, sounding relieved. "How are you feeling?"

"I have an awful headache. I spent the night on a chair. My throat is parched. Tell me, Edward, how do you think I feel?" asked Hans nastily.

"I brought some herbs mixed with water, Your Highness," replied Edward quickly. He handed the goblet to his master.

He gulped the foul tasting liquid and returned the goblet to Edward, feeling the herbs go straight to his head. "I thought I told you to leave last night, Edward."

"You did, sir, but Queen Elsa was worried about you, so she told me to keep an eye on you."

"Elsa?" Hans looked up, interested. "Did she say anything else?"

"No, sir."

"I should see if she wanted anything, Edward." He hurried out of the chair, straightening his clothes out. What could have been the reason for her coming here? He didn't remember anything from last night that included her.

"Of course sir, but are you well enough to…deal with anyone right now?" asked Edward tentatively.

Hans smiled. "It will be fine." He opened the doors and marched out, ready to face Elsa and her judging stares. He ran into someone in his haste, stumbling a bit. "My apologies. I wasn't paying attention." His eyes widened. It was Elsa.

"It's good to see you in the right mind, Prince Hans," she replied coolly.

"Yes, I suppose so, although my head is killing me." Hans frowned. She had seen him drunk? He did not want to know how that conversation ended. "I'm assuming you walked in yesterday at a particularly bad moment. Am I right?"

"I should have left immediately," she answered quietly.

Hans' stomach gave a horrible lurch. What _had _he done last night? Could his inhibitions lessened to the point that he ruined his future? "If I did anything or said anything completely inappropriate, I'm sincerely sorry. I shouldn't have been drinking, Your Majesty." He bowed his head slightly.

"No, it was nothing of the sort." Her face was void of any expression.

"I'm sorry for whatever I said anyway. I was intoxicated."

She nodded, not meeting his eyes. "They call alcohol the Truth Serum. It's an appropriate title, I think."

"You've made me curious." Did he say something or not? Why wouldn't she say?

"You should go change and refresh yourself. The trial begins in an hour." She turned around, her hair falling in place behind her. "I'll see you there."

* * *

**I dislike this chapter for some reason. It doesn't sit right with me. Well, it sounded much better in my head. We get a slight bit of Elsa's POV, but I kept that to a minimum. There was a bit of a shout-out to _A Tale of Two Cities_ if you caught it. Next chapter is the trial, which I hope will be better than this one.**


	11. The Worried Eyes

Hans was sitting in the chair laid out for him, his posture slouched. He waited for everyone to enter the makeshift court. Gail sat next to him, his eyes impassive, but his mouth set in a firm line. He did not look at Hans at all as if he avoided his gaze.

Elsa, on the other hand, sat with her sister, who was clutching her hand tightly. Anna spoke in whispers to the silent Queen. Elsa, unlike Gail, kept her eyes on Hans, her eyes betraying nothing. Her figure looked as though she was attending a formal dinner, not a murder trial.

"Shall we begin, Your Majesty?" asked a wizened man, part of the dignitaries panel. There were five men in total, representing all diplomats or officials of Arendelle. This man was the Minister of Treasury.

"If you're ready, Your Excellency," she replied quietly.

The Treasury official nodded at his colleague, the Minister of Defense, Captain Edwin Powers. Powers cleared his throat before starting, "His Highness, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, stands accused of treachery to the crown of Arendelle and attempt at murder of Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle. We, as representatives of Arendelle, are sworn to bring forth a verdict upon the accused as a result of this trial." He looked at Hans. "Your Highness, if you are prepared to answer truthfully, His Excellency, the Minister of State, would like to ask you some questions."

"Go ahead." It was barely the beginning and they were already boring him with formalities.

"Did you come to Arendelle with a plan to steal Her Majesty's throne?"

How would they know if he were lying or not? They should have thought of that. This was going to be too easy. "No, sir."

"What changed your mind then?"

"Queen Elsa, sir." He wondered what she thought when she heard this; he could only imagine her surprise.

"Her Majesty?" He seemed astonished "Could you be more specific?"

"I saw a problem, sir. Her powers. I saw immediate danger. I knew I could fix it if I were in power."

"So you decided to trick Her Highness, Princess Anna, into marrying you?" His tone sounded disgusted.

"It wasn't a trick. She loved me. I just didn't." He could feel Annie's glare on him. "I wanted the throne."

"But you proposed with ill intentions?"

"Is that so wrong? Many other royals have married for the exact reasons. Empress Catherine for example. She didn't love Czar Peter, but she married him."

"Empress Catherine was a great leader," the Minister replied coldly.

"Who are you to say I wouldn't have been?"

"But you did try to kill Her Majesty?"

"I won't deny it. There were witnesses who can testify to it."

"Murder is a crime, especially of a Queen."

"Of course. But she attempted to murder two of the Duke's men. And look, she's not on trial."

"It was self-defense," snapped Anna angrily.

"Your Highness, please. You cannot speak now," said Powers calmly.

"Well, to respond to her statement, yes, it was self-defense, but I saw what she could do. I saw her capabilities. I feared for the people of Arendelle if they ever were on the wrong end of her wrath. She was dangerous."

"Was?"

"Now she obviously has control of her powers, so that is good."

"So you wanted her removed from the throne as a precaution? In case she had another lapse in judgment?"

Wait, that was a good idea! He could use previous experiences as a method of plugging himself into the seat of power. He could still win this. "Precisely, sir. I was only doing what I thought best for Arendelle. She was a danger to her people. Look at what she has done. Eternal winter. Attempted murder. I will remind you of what happened to Princess Anna. The Queen almost killed her! Is that not reason enough that Her Majesty cannot be trusted with this kingdom?" He could feel the anger radiating from Anna now and knew that her sister was the only force stopping her from killing him.

"That's enough, Your Highness!" exclaimed Powers, outraged.

"I only ask that you remove any affection or loyalty to the Queen when deciding the verdict. In addition, diminish your hatred for me while in deliberation. Can I count on that, Your Excellency"

"What," he frowned, "do you expect, Prince Hans?"

"The worst."

"I think we have everything we need, Your Majesty. If you'd like to, you may stay, but I'd advise against it as the deliberation may take quite some time," proclaimed the Minister of Treasury, his face filled with worry.

Hans stood up, glancing at his brother's unmoving figure. He took the pose of an uninterested spectator, his face impassive. He looked lost in his thoughts. Hans turned away, afraid to disturb him. As he made his way outside to the Great Hall, he kept looking back at Gail, waiting for him to get up and join him. His brother was the only one left in room.

"Hans, really, are you still hung up on Elsa's throne?" Anna was waiting outside for him, ready to pounce. "Like what's your problem? To what point will you continue?"

"Anna," said Elsa quietly. She placed her hand on Anna's arm gently.

"No, you don't deserve this. And definitely not from him!"

"Anna, please go. You need to calm down." She faintly smiled. "I'll be fine."

She sighed angrily. "Fine. But you know I'm right." She mumbled out the last part as she walked away.

"Is Kristoff the blond suitor?" asked Hana, intrigued.

"You were lying." Her voice was still quiet, but gone was the smile. He couldn't see if she disapproved or not. She just seemed to accept it.

"I'm sorry?"

"During the trial. All those answers. They were lies."

Was she going to tell them? "What will you do about it?" His tone held a challenge in it.

"Nothing." She turned to leave.

"Why not? It will only be in your benefit?" he called out, genuinely surprised. What was up with her? Ever since this morning, she acted differently. She seemed softer, more fragile. A crack in her exterior. But her emotions held her up, making her stronger mentally. Physically, she was just a weak person. What happened last night? What did he do?

"Because I'm not you. I don't seek to benefit from other people's mishaps." Her voice echoed across the hall, sounding dead.

People began pushing past him towards the doors. They were all muttering to the others around then. Hans tapped the old man in front of him. The man looked at him angrily and hurried away. "What's going on? Please tell me," he asked another man, his voice cracking slightly from another rejection.

"Your Highness!" called out a clear voice. It was Jay, cleaner than the last time they met. He wore the most unpleased expression, but looked older and proper.

Hans smiled unhappily. "At least I have a friend in the midst of this, Jay."

"Sir, you must go inside. They have reached a verdict."

"Of course." He didn't move.

"Sir," urged Jay. "Now." He sighed. "What's wrong?"

"This entire kingdom hates me. I didn't think of that before. It just occurred to me."

"And?"

"You must hate me too, don't you?" He smiled wryly.

"My opinion is not important, sir."

"It is though. I hate it when people think they're lower than me."

"I'll think whatever you wish me to, Your Highness." His voice was brisk and cutting.

"Alright, you win. I'll see you after the trial for my final farewell." Hans opened the doors, everyone turned to stare at his approaching figure. He has his eyes, however, glued on his brother, who never left his spot.

As he sat down, Powers stood up with a scroll in his hands. He opened it and read the word aloud with a scowl on his face. "After much thought being given to this trial, we, the representatives of Arendelle, find His Highness, Prince Hans of Southern Isles, not guilty of any crime or infraction."

The crowd gasped, turning to their Queen in response. Hans sighed in relief. It worked. He was safe.

"In addition, we have come to the decision that-," Powers paused, looking uncomfortable, "that, uh, Her Majesty be removed from her position for Arendelle's sake."

Anna stood up, angrily. "And who will take her place? Me? Well, I give my position to Elsa."

"No, Your Highness. Her Majesty will retain her crown and title. Her power will be given to His Highness, Prince Hans, but not permanently."

"I don't quite understand, Captain," replied Elsa, quietly.

"Er, Your Majesty, basically every decision you make regarding Arendelle must be approved by His Highness, just as a precaution."

"And why Hans?" asked Anna defiantly.

"Because, Your Highness, the committee believes Prince Hans proved he has a keen eye when it comes to detecting problems. It seems to be the best for Arendelle." He cleared his throat. "Orders are effective immediately."

Hans looked at his brother, not paying attention anymore to the chaos around him. Gail finally moved from his place and made his way past the angry crowd without a word. He couldn't tell if Gail was pleased with him or not; perhaps he lied when he said that he wanted Hans to win. Hans sighed wearily and glanced at the opposing side, Elsa and Anna. Anna was speaking furiously with Captain Powers and the Minister of Treasury. Elsa was staring at him, her expression curious, not at all disappointed by her loss. How long had she been looking at him? He wondered if she had seen the whole nonexistent exchange with his brother. He wanted to know what she thought.

* * *

**I'm starting to rethink Elsa's relationship with Hans, so things might change. Other than that, everything is running smoothly. Thanks!**


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